


tough love (rough me up)

by ikebukuro



Category: Revolution (TV)
Genre: Gen, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-22
Updated: 2014-04-22
Packaged: 2018-01-20 08:09:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1503161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ikebukuro/pseuds/ikebukuro
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>(you should come with a warning label)</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	tough love (rough me up)

The sound of metal ringing off metal was loud in the clearing, but it was safe—in a manner of speaking. No place was ever safe, not really—but it was close enough and there was a lull in their traveling, just enough time for boredom to set in. And an itch.

Miles, for his part, was glad Connor didn’t scratch his itches the way his father did or else he’d probably have had to break the kid’s neck. Still, walking into the field to find Bass’ son crossing swords with Charlie was only a notch or two above finding them knocking boots against a tree on Miles’ _would-prefer-not-to_ list.

But sure as shit—there they were: Connor with that ridiculous suit jacket off, his gun girdle hanging from the tree and his shirt uselessly unbuttoned to bear his chest, his curls plastered to his forehead with sweat; Charlie facing him down from six feet back, her cropped shirt soaked down the spine and her sword belt slung low on her hips; she carried one blade and still kept the second in its scabbard. Out of sight behind one of the thick oaks around the edge of the clearing, Miles took note and smiled despite himself. _That’s my girl._ Always keeping an ace.

Connor turned the sword in his grip, spun it over the back of his hand and caught it smoothly like someone who knew what they were doing, knew how to intimidate run of the mill opposition and then some. But Charlie was not run of the mill—never had been and sure as hell wasn’t these days—and she wasn’t backing down. She tipped her head in a _yeah, so what_ motion Miles knew by heart and drew her second sword with her free hand.

It was gratifying as hell to see Connor gape at her like someone clocked him with a brick.

Charlie grinned at him. “What’s wrong, tough guy?” She spun both swords, just the same way Connor had, and circled around him a step. “I thought you were going to show me something? Or was that all talk?”

To his credit, Connor made a good show of saving face. He shifted his feet, circled the opposite direction of Charlie to keep her in front of him. “You’re kinda mouthy, huh?” He feinted—and made a satisfied sound when Charlie didn’t fall for it. “How about you come over here and say that to my face?”

“You want me in your face?”

Miles knew that tone of voice—even if Connor didn’t.

Charlie borrowed a move, feinted to the left—and then spun into Connor's unprotected side, slamming her elbow up into his face. Connor jerked back sharply but only missed a step, swinging for center mass across Charlie’s middle—a blow she blocked with her own sword and forced upward on a sweep. At the last second, Connor shoved forward—a dirty trick Miles thought was more reminiscent of his father than anything—and landed a punch over the crossguards, hard enough that Charlie swore a colorful blue streak and spun out of range, but not before she slammed the butt of her sword into Connor’s temple.

More cursing filled the meadow as the two backed away from each other.

Behind his tree, Miles grimaced and jammed his shoulder into the bark. To the quiet shadow behind him he murmured a barely audible, “Sonuvabitch.”

Bass made a sound under his breath, “I guess it could be worse.”

In the field Connor pulled his hand away from his head and rubbed at the fresh blood on his fingertips like he was surprised to see it, then looked up at Charlie, who grinned back at him around a split lip.

Miles made a sound of disgust and dropped his head back against the tree. “Yeah? Could be worse?” He jerked a hand in the general direction of the kids and closed his eyes. “This is just the opening stretch. Flirting. Foreplay. They’re going to—”

“Be like us?” Bass finished for him—completely unnecessarily. Miles didn’t dignify it with a response, just grunted and kicked blindly at Bass’ ankle.

“ _Ouch_.”

“Prick.”

“Blow me,” Bass hummed back.

“Later.”

“Mh.” Bass propped a hand on the tree and Miles felt rather than saw him lean around to get a better look at Charlie and Connor who were too quiet to be doing anything but staring at each other with the moon in their eyes or something equally grey-hair inducing. “Do you think I need to go have the talk with Connor?”

“I’m pretty sure your son’s not a virgin, Bass.”

“Any son of _mine_? No, definitely not a virgin. But that wasn’t the talk I had in mind.”

Miles cracked an eye open to look at him.

“I meant the other talk—the one about falling in love with a Matheson.”

“There’s no talk for that.”

“There’s definitely a talk for that.”

“Yeah?” Miles shoved off the tree, not looking back at the kids as he headed back for camp. “How’d that work out for you?”

“What are you talking about, man? You fell in love with _me_.”

Miles choked on a laugh. “Yeah alright, Don Juan.”

“Denial, Miles. It’s not just a river in Egypt.”

Miles didn’t bother to look over his shoulder when he flipped Bass off—and he didn’t need to look back to know Bass followed him all the way back to camp, grinning like a jackass.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little Connor/Charlie sparring, because this whole family uses friendly violence as foreplay. Officially au, since it was written before Connor and Charlie slept together. Crossposted from my tumblr, originally posted back in January and dedicated with love to [Cali.](http://batmanmonroe.tumblr.com) <3


End file.
